Redemption
by CrystaL Rose
Summary: Ryoko begins life anew when her past memories are forgotten, but what happens when Tenchi comes back into the picture? How will his presence affect her new existence? Read on to find out!! This fic is full of angst! Ayeka lovers beware.
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: Nope! Tenchi Muyo does not belong to me! (Too bad)  
  
Redemption by Crystal Rose  
  
~ Part 1 ~  
  
In the darkness of midnight, the moon shined brightly above, casting its light upon a single lonely figure. Weeping silently, a young woman had chosen a small field filled with flowers to let out her sorrow. Long, beautiful hair flowed with a gentle breeze that swept about her, the silver locks glowing eerily in the moonlight, giving her an unearthly appearance. As her tears slowly winded to a halting stop, she raised her head to look towards the moon as if in prayer, desperation shining in the depths of her piercing golden eyes. Perfectly sculpted nose aimed at the heavens, her adorably small lips trembling with uncertainty, she was the very picture of vulnerability, and quite desirable at that.  
  
'Tenchi'  
  
As the winds picked up and the temperature began to drop, she wrapped her arms about her knees and struggled to stay warm, shivering as the cold began to seep in. Teeth chattering, new tears began to flow. In the deep depths of her depression, a part of her wondered why?   
  
The face of her beloved flashes before her face, his features twisted into an ugly sneer. A woman joins the picture of him, her arms wrapped possessively around him as she laughs down upon her.  
  
She bit her lip and uncaringly drew blood, letting it flow down her chin. What did she care. Why should she. He most certainly never did. Tenchi... How could she not have seen it. She never stood a chance. It was Ayeka that he had always l...  
  
Laughing bitterly, she shook her head with disgust. God, I can't even bring myself to say it. It's no wonder Tenchi is so disgusted with me. I remember now...all the things I dismissed or refused to believe...refused to think about...  
  
Ryoko! ...Tenchi yelling at her to get off him...  
  
Gee, wonder who's lying...Tenchi rolls his eyes...  
  
You Demon! ...Tenchi running away from her...  
  
I HATE YOU!!   
  
It was all so painfully clear. She could easily remember all the times Tenchi had ran to protect Ayeka, throwing himself in front of her, getting hurt for her. Where was she amidst all this? There she was, standing off to the side, alone. No one to care for her. No one to worry. Not that she couldn't handle herself, but so could little miss princess. He never even spared the thought of going to protect her, to see how she was doing...did he? Sure he'd always ask if she was alright, but Ayeka was the one he'd carry and whisper sweet nothings in her ear, trying to ease the pain.  
  
"Well, you know what Tenchi..." her voice shook uncertainly.  
  
Her fists shook at her sides, her eyes clenched shut in anguish as she suddenly stood in a moment of fury.   
  
"I FEEL PAIN TOO!! I feel pain too..." She broke off as a new wave of tears   
overwhelmed her, causing her to collapse to her knees. She grasped at the blades of grass beneath her, desperately searching for something...something to go on, to continue this miserable existence. She found nothing.  
  
What was it? Was it the fact that she wasn't human? Is that it? She wasn't entitled to having feelings of love and such. Couldn't possibly feel any sort of pain, not that anyone would care. She was Ryoko the space pirate, cruel killing machine. Such creatures did not feel. Apparently Tenchi had always looked at her this way. Oh, how she wished sometimes, that she could be like Ayeka. So soft and warm. So...human. Tenchi had known right away what she couldn't understand until now. She could never be human, be with Tenchi.   
  
Standing resolutely, she found herself strangely enlightened. She would end all this now and finally be at peace. After years of pining away for Tenchi...she would be free. She almost began dancing at the wonderful thought. Looking up from the ground, she found that she had unconsciously walked to the edge of a river. The soothing trickle of water beckoned to her, the cold water inviting. She smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
As the sunset that day, a member of the ryotsaki tribe, a small group of people who believed in the old ways, walked down to the village river to catch the day's supper. Settling down comfortably in the cool grassy banks of the river, he relaxed and patiently waited for the fish to come. Looking past the river, he jumped when he realized that something was afloat the water and was heading straight for him. Heading for the bushes as a means of cover, the man turned to watch, only to discover with fright the beautiful face of a woman illuminated in the soft moonlight.   
  
Jumping into action, the man ran out and scooped the woman into his arms. She was terribly cold and her lips were turning blue. Putting his head upon her breast, he found with relief, that she still had a heart beat, but was not breathing. Picking her up, he sprinted towards the village as fast as his legs would carry him.   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Part 2

Hey, hope ya'all like this. If not...well 'ptthhbbb!!!' to you too!   
  
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo does NOT belong to me in any way at all!!!   
  
  
Redemption by Crystal Rose  
  
~ Part 2 ~  
  
Tenchi  
  
The name flashed across her mind, a dull pain in the back of her mind. Cold. It was so cold. Darkness surrounded her. She felt so...alone.   
  
Then...strange noises...no, voices...strangely distorted voices...  
  
Tenchi...I'm scared  
  
Then, a strange blanket of warmth swept over her, reminding her of what it had felt like to be loved, what she had thought it felt like to be loved. Loved by...loved by...she could no longer remember, but barely gave it a thought. It was unimportant...wasn't it? She smiled as she felt strangely unburdened and...happy? Yes, she was happy. So happy, she thought as she drifted weightlessly, her mind enveloped by a world of black.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The morning air was fresh and crisp. Trees swayed slightly in the mild summer breeze, their leaves rustling softly as birds chirped happily in the sun. All around, people were bustling about their business, talking, laughing, all of them happily at work. The village was filled with life. Inside a particular straw hut, a young woman lay in bed, her hair shining like silver in the sunlight.   
  
Red. The first thought to enter her mind upon consciousness was that she was seeing red. No, she wasn't particularly angry about anything. She couldn't remember the last time she was ever truly angry about something. In fact, she couldn't remember ever being angry in the past at all... but she was literally seeing red.   
  
Slowly, she opened her heavy eyelids a crack, but regretted that immediately as a bright beam of sunlight shined down into her eyes. She winced in pain and squinted her eyes against the harsh sunlight, her hands coming up to shield her face as her eyes adjusted the brightness of day. Sitting up stiffly, she kept a hand up to her face, shielding her eyes as she took in her surroundings.   
  
A small, yet quaint setting greeted her. Many small tapestries hung from the walls, as well as an abundance of charms and decorations. Just beside the bed, a small table sat, accompanied by two small chairs. She froze suddenly as a large shadow loomed over her, blocking out the sunlight streaming in from the window. Whipping her head around, she turned to stare out the empty window, her brow furrowing in confusion. She was contemplating getting up to get a better look when a deep voice commented from behind her.  
  
"So, I see you've finally awaken."   
  
Her voice caught in her throat as she took in her visitor's appearance. Standing tall, his lean muscular frame was outlined by golden beams of sunlight, his skin darkened from exposure to the sun. His hair, dark as midnight, fell to his shoulders, giving him a wild, unkempt look. She stared wide-eyed for a moment, before looking down in embarassment.   
  
God, I probably look like an idiot...In fact, I don't even know what I look like. Do I have brown eyes, or blue? And my hair? Oh geez, I'm probably just the ugliest thing in the world! And here I've been staring at this gorgeous guy for the past eon and...Oh I just knew I was right! He's so disgusted he can't speak! I am ugly!!!   
  
During her one-sided conversation, she'd unconsciously been blushing as red as a tomato, not to mention holding her face in obvious distress. The man had respectfully stayed quiet, thinking that he should allow her the time to gather her thoughts to reply, but now, just as it looked as if she was on the verge of tears, he thought he had better speak up soon.   
  
"Ahem," She snapped back to attention immediately, staring up at him with wide frightened eyes.   
  
"Uh...Who are you ...and where am I?"  
  
"They call me Akuma and you are currently in the village of the Ryotsaki tribe, though if you want to get specific, you're sitting on my bed in my house."  
  
She flushed once more, "I-I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey, no problem. A pretty little girl like you can share my bed anytime," He smiled devilishly, making her heart skip a beat. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, no longer as carefree as before.  
  
"So, care to tell me what happened?"   
  
"What...What do you mean?" He sighed.  
  
"Look, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. It's just that-"   
  
"I...I don't understand. I don't even remember what happened last night, or..."   
  
She began to cry in earnest covering her face in shame as she wept miserably. He blinked, shocked that she would react so strongly. Kneeling down beside the bed, he gently took her hands away from her face.  
  
"Hey, it's alright," he soothed, "What's your name?"   
  
"I...I don't know," She sobbed. His eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"I can't...even remember what I look like!"   
  
He went rigid as she flung herself at him, clinging to his robes as she sobbed. Relaxing somewhat after the initial shock, he patted her back awkwardly. His brow furrowed as she suddenly ceased movement. He smirked slightly and lay her gently back down on his bed. She lay there, a look of sadness painted upon her face even as she slept. He sighed and went out to search for the village elders.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Waking once again, she found that the sun was almost setting. She sat up in bed with a start when she realized that she wasn't alone.   
  
"W-Who's there!" She cried out, her voice trembling.  
  
"It's just me."  
  
She sighed in relief when she realized it was that guy from before...Akuma was it? She tensed up slightly when the area beside her on the bed sunk down to accommodate the new weight. She looked over shyly and blushed at his intense gaze before bowing her head to stare at the floor. She felt the heat in her cheeks increase dramatically, as the silence stretched on, the only sound between them his soft breathing. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"I have spoken to the village healer..."   
  
"And?" She asked, anxious to know what was wrong with her.  
  
"He has determined that you suffer from some sort of amnesia." Her head snapped up at the statement, a gasp escaping her lips.  
  
"A-Amnesia? Is it...is it permanent?"   
  
"He...can't say for sure," he sighed, "These things are unpredictable, ya know."  
  
"I...I suppose..." she whispered, dejected. He frowned slightly, then grinned wolfishly at her.  
  
"Hey, cheer up! Since you'll be staying here for a while, the first thing we have to do is give you a name."   
  
"Huh?" Her head tilted to the side, her eyes wide and curious.   
  
She's just too adorable...   
  
Thought Akuma, lost in her golden eyes.  
  
Eyes that glitter like the sun...  
  
He blinked himself back to reality and smirked at the clueless look adorning her face.  
  
"Yeah, you know...a name. I mean, I figured you wouldn't like being called 'girl' everywhere you go. Makes it kinda hard to differentiate, too, if you know what I mean."   
  
"Yes, I suppose so."  
  
"Well, aren't we soft spoken. You know, you remind me of a lost kitten..." He grinned, "That's it!"  
  
"What?" She was slightly taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm.   
  
"From now on, I'll call you Koneko." She pouted slightly.  
  
"Kitten?"   
  
She looked at him curiously. He simply motioned for her to look backwards. She was in for quite a shock when she realized she had a tail. In fact it quite resembled a cat's tail. Slim and furry, the appendage was curled obediently behind her, its brown fur blending in nicely with the fur of the bed. She tilted her head to the side once more, puzzled. She looked up, even more confused, at the sound of his laughter.  
  
"What's...so funny?" He shook his head, unable to control himself as he gasped for breath.   
  
"And you wonder why I decided on such a name," he shook his head in wonder.   
  
Her cheeks began to color as embarassment sunk in.  
  
"I don't understand," she whispered, her cheeks a flaming crimson now.  
  
"Just look at yourself."  
  
"I...don't know what I look like," she said sadly.  
  
This stopped his laughter immediately. He looked down at her sharply, his eyes intense, searching...searching...until finally they softened with compassion, the dark blue depths of his eyes shadowed in the wake of the setting sun.   
  
"Come with me," he commanded, his voice deep, strong, but most importantly gentle.  
  
Standing, he offered her a hand, which she took hesitantly. Pulling her up beside him, he smiled before motioning for her to follow him. They walked through the village, past fields and houses before entering a deep wood. There, they walked for few more minutes before coming to a clearing. Before them, water trickled down a stream silently. Akuma bekoned her to move on with him, following the small stream as it widened gradually into a wide river. She stared into the crystaline depths, mesmerized by the water's movement. Looking down into her own reflection, she felt as if she faced a stranger. Smooth pale skin...sharp golden eyes and spikey cyan hair. She lowered a hand to her hair, hair that fell just past small, delicate shoulders. She was broken out of her thoughts as he spoke for the first time since they'd started their small journey.  
  
"What?" She stuttered.  
  
"I said, this is where I found you."   
  
She looked up at him thoughtfully, staring at his hard face and unreadable expression before looking down once more. She looked down into her own reflection and smiled sadly.  
  
"Kitten, huh? Well, I guess it's fitting that I gain a new identity where the old one was lost."   
  
She continued staring into the waters, forever moving, moving on to something vast, something great...as day became night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Yeah, yeah. I know it's kinda short, but...oh well. I hope to get the next one out soon. No, really! I just couldn't decide how I wanted to write this chapter. ^_^;; Anyway REVIEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please?   
  
  
  
  



	3. Part 3

Hey, I'm back! Finally, Part 3 is here! And, as promised it is much longer than any of the previous chapters, so I hope it appeases you for the moment. This part mainly features Tenchi and his thoughts, as well as some other characters' POV's. Hope you guys enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo does not belong to me! Neither do the characters, except for Akuma! He's mine!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Redemption by Crystal Rose   
  
~ Part 3 ~  
  
Back at the Masaki shrine, things were normal for the most part. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. A cool breeze blew past as Tenchi stood up from his work in the carrot patch, one hand shading his eyes as he took in a breath of fresh air. As far as he was concerned, it had been too normal lately, if there was such a thing. This morning included, he felt a sense of wrongness and he feared whatever awaited him amongst all the quiet and silence. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but any moment now, he expected the mother of all accidents to occur. After all, you never know what trouble that crazy Ryoko will have gotten herself into next. He sighed. The question was: where was she? And what was she doing? He shook his head and prepared to go back to work.  
  
"Tenchi! Breakfast," came the high-pitched voice of Sasami.   
  
"Okay. I'll be right there!" he replied.   
  
Breakfast came and went without incident, and still no sign of Ryoko. Even Ayeka seemed a bit more subdued than usual. Most likely, this was because the competition was no where in sight, so the princess felt no need to assert her stake on the boy, for which he was quite grateful. However, the air just seemed to be permeated with melancholy. Mihoshi, who'd come to visit with Kiyone, had been surprisingly quiet as well, sensing the strange mood everyone had fallen into. And although Tenchi was sure that nearly everyone present knew what was missing, except perhaps father and grandpa who seemed to get along just fine, no one had spoken yet. It almost seemed cruel and unfair that nobody felt the need to address the issue. It was as if no one wanted to acknowledge the truth and accept any responsibility on her part. It was as if no one wanted to care for her. He mentally sighed. Then again, who was he to point fingers. He was guilty of the same crime and was probably the cause of her disappearance in the first place.   
  
Still it was strange that no one had noticed yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that... In total, it had been over a week since anyone had recalled seeing the loud-mouthed space pirate lounging about. Knowing Ryoko, she was probably just buying her time, causing all of us worry while she partied from dawn 'till dusk. Right? It's just like that one time they'd sent her off to buy them some food on a nearby planet. They'd nearly died from starvation while Ryoko squandered all their money on expensive hotels, gourmet meals, and who knows how much sake. This was just more proof of her reckless nature.   
  
Tenchi continued his daily chores, lost in thought. Knowing Ryoko and her reckless behavior, who would want to care for the little she-devil, he thought. Thus, he answered his own question of why no one felt the need to care, or perhaps it should be no one felt the need to lose a limb, which was by all means possible in the presence of such a disaster. Watch out for Hurricane Ryoko! He chuckled a bit at the thought, a bitter sound. That's all he was doing right? Avoiding one of nature's disasters. It wasn't as if he didn't want to care, he just...couldn't.   
  
Suddenly, Tenchi felt an unexplainable growing anger at the thought of Ryoko and her surely irresponsible actions over the last week or so. It was her fault that they were in such a mess, that he was in such a mess. No one seemed to be able to concentrate on anything except that rogue space pirate who seemed to enjoy randomly disappearing off the face of the earth just for the fun of worrying her 'family' sick! It was all so wrong. If anyone were to blame, it'd be Ryoko! If she'd just behave, he wouldn't have any problems. He'd be able to care for her normally without having to deal with any of her nonsense! All her fault! It was...it was...  
  
The sharp sound of wood splitting broke him out of his rage. As he looked down at the broken broom stick in his hands, all his anger seemed to melt away and dissipate, leaving him as quickly as it had come, as his words came back to him.  
  
Was it her fault? He knew he was capable of caring for Ryoko, he'd done so many times in the past, and nothing was standing in his way, let alone Ryoko herself. Yet, here he was, blaming her for his inability to care. And for what? Perhaps, he just didn't was to face the fact that he wasn't always Tenchi: the saint, the hero. He didn't want to acknowledge this ugly side of him, of all human nature.   
  
But there it was. If anything, he realized with shock, he had been upset with himself, no furious. Furious with his inability to act and his not wanting to care because god knows what that woman has gotten him into before. No, he was the one at fault because no matter how much trouble she was, Ryoko had always watched out for him. It was no excuse because no matter how cold he'd been or rude or...uncaring, she'd always been there for him.   
  
His shook his head as he disposed of the old broom. This lie had to end. He just couldn't allow himself to do this anymore, pushing all the blame onto Ryoko. He flashed back to the countless times she'd told him how unfair it was, how he just didn't want to see what was right in front of him. He thought back to a particularly ugly scene after a fight between Ryoko and Ayeka. They'd destroyed a part of the shrine that had been very important to him, its walls holding a memory of his late mother. He'd gone absolutely berserk and screamed at Ryoko about her horrible behavior. He'd told her she was completely useless. Why couldn't she find something better to do in her spare time? Why couldn't she restrain herself from attacking the defenseless princess? Meanwhile, he had helped Ayeka to her feet, completely ignoring Ryoko as he told her he regretted ever meeting her.   
  
In hindsight, Ayeka had indeed started that little fight, and he remembered the look on her face as she brought her tiny logs out to play without hesitation. Ryoko had been dodging artfully, screaming back insults at the princess who had no inclinations of stopping. No doubt the space pirate was still thinking of the house's bathroom, which had mysteriously exploded in the middle of the night, for which she had received a thorough scolding. No, the only thing he could think of was that something had gone wrong once again in his life, and Ryoko was to blame. Always Ryoko.   
  
How did he ever get away with it? It was ridiculous. Though more importantly, why had he done it? He couldn't even remember the last fight she'd actually initiated with the ornery princess. Perhaps on some subconscious level he'd been trying to fulfill some sort of false fairy tale, casting Ryoko as the evil witch so that he wouldn't have to deal with the responsibility of consciously choosing between the two. God, he was twisted! But even with this newfound knowledge, what was he supposed to do? He groaned in frustration as his head began to pound.  
  
"Ryoko...where are you?"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
In the darkness, a figure sat brooding. The shadows wrapped about the figure, engulfing the entire area but for the faint bluish glow that emanated from a large monitor. One single lock of red hair stood illuminated in the damp air as the small figure seemed motionless, her gaze fixed on the screen.  
  
A young boy stared back at her, a fierce light kindling in his eyes as he stood beside a wastebasket, the remains of a broom protruding from within. His face hardened as he headed for the temple.  
  
The screen flickered before changing scenes to display the face of a young woman, who was laughing gaily at a man who stood sopping wet. The scowling dark haired man smiled suddenly and caught the woman around the waist, turning her about to brush aside a lock of her cyan hair. Her face colored a bright red.  
  
A sigh permeated the thick air as the screen finally went black. In the abyss of true darkness, the figure slumped in her chair, caught between a battle of wills.  
  
'Perhaps it would be best if she were never to remember.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Where are you going Tenchi?"  
  
The soft silky voice started the young boy as his steps faltered. He relaxed when he found the source of the voice, only to stiffen in surprise all over again.  
  
"W-Washu?!"  
  
Just the fact that no one had seen Washu since Ryoko left would have been reason enough for her appearance to be an unexpected surprise. However, the fact that she was currently in adult form was simply shocking. He knew how much she hated being an adult, ever since she'd lost her husband and child. Her dangerously soft voice just added to his belief that something was seriously wrong.   
  
"Where are you going?" she repeated.  
  
The question shook him out of his stupor as his thoughts came back into focus.  
  
"I'm going to find Ryoko."  
  
The statement was said with all the confidence and courage he could muster in the face of the universe's greatest scientist. The overwhelming feeling that he was undergoing some sort of test refused to leave him, making him feel wary and cautious as she weighed his words. Why was she acting this way? Could he have been wrong? Certainly, the fact that he had been acting badly couldn't be doubted, but was she out there wreaking havoc? Then again, one could say she was rebelling against the injustice of the world, or at least her world, which she'd once said he comprised.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that..."  
  
Her words brought him back to the present with startling clarity.   
  
"What? What are you talking about Washu? I need to go find Ryoko! You can't-"  
  
His words were cut off as a cage materialized around him, binding his wrists and ankles. She looked as grim as ever.  
  
"I can and will see to it."   
  
Her voice was short and clipped as she stared down upon him. He continued struggling against the bonds to no avail.  
  
"Why? Why are you doing this, Washu? Don't you care at all?!"  
  
"I care too much..." She whispered, turning away.   
  
"I...I don't understand. How can you do this and say you care? She's your daughter!"  
  
"Tenchi..."   
  
She turned to face him once more, her voice gentler, her piercing green eyes softening even as he watched. A deep and agonizing pain lingered underneath her cold façade, barely concealed; understanding dawned upon him in a rush of emotion. His eyes widened imperceptibly as he stared up at her.  
  
"You know, don't you? You know where she is!"   
  
His voice was accusing. She smiled slightly.  
  
"Of course. I'm her mother."  
  
"Mother doesn't always know what's best," he ground out savagely.  
  
The insult hit the mark as the scientist stiffened. Her anguish was so evident that he felt a bit of remorse at his stinging comment, which referred to Ryoko's upbringing or lack thereof, as well as made a mockery of her circumstances as a young woman when she'd lost her first lover and child. However, he steeled himself. No matter what Washu thought of his actions, this was as much for himself as it was for Ryoko. He'd never find peace if he couldn't redeem himself of his past sins.  
  
As if she could read his mind, which no doubt she could, Washu seemed to almost crumple in defeat. She sounded her surrender as she removed the cage that had rendered him defenseless. He began to rise from the ground when she approached him, her face shadowed.   
  
"Here," she held out a small device, "This will lead you to her."   
  
He stared at her outstretched hand for a moment before grasping the object and rising to his full height. As he turned to leave, she spoke once more.  
  
"You know Tenchi...she's always been precious to me."  
  
He paused with his back turned towards her before walking away in silence.  
  
'I know Washu,' he thought grimly, 'I know.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Tenchi's grandfather was by no means insensitive or stupid. Aside from Washu, he had probably been the very first to take note of Ryoko's absence. Being a warrior for more than half of his life had given him a warrior's skills, and the most basic was to know one's surroundings. He sighed thoughtfully.  
  
The tea before him lay untouched, rapidly cooling in the dark room. Thin rays of sun pierced through the paper-thin walls to stretch across the wooden floor like golden threads. Kneeling before the small table, Yosho sat motionless, his eyes closed momentarily in an expression of weariness.   
  
Staring into the swirling green depths of liquid, he contemplated the events of the past year. Tenchi, his grandson had grown a great deal in power since his first awakening. As predicted, the Jurain blood within him would permit no less. However, that was the extent of his growth, for the boy had become no better in dealing with the many distractions his station warranted. Another sigh.   
  
The fierce battle between the Juraian princess and the space pirate seemed all too commonplace in the past. However, over the last few months he'd sensed a subtle change in the young boy, could see it every time he looked into those clouded brown eyes that were so much like his own. He feared the change had been for the worse and was proven correct as a faint darkness had begun to taint the pure aura of Tenchi's spirit. Such dark emotion would end only in ruin. 'Hate is poison to the spirit,' it had once been said.  
  
However, it seemed as if his grandson had come to his senses after months in the dark and was truly beginning to mature. As his mother once told him, 'To understand another, you must first know yourself.' After all enlightenment was just another step towards love.  
  
He shook his head, amused by his own thoughts. He was getting more and more philosophical in his old age. He chuckled, lightly, thinking of what he'd just witnessed. He was proud of the young boy, of that he was certain. Nevertheless, he knew Tenchi's defiant words had struck the genius deeply and to be honest, he felt for her.   
  
As the last echo of footsteps disappeared, Yosho rose silently to his feet, his movements graceful despite the many hours of inactivity he'd spent in the dark room. Padding carefully across the floor, he slid open the thin door, granting the sun access to the small room as bright rays flooded the enclosure. There the genius scientist stood in rare form, staring off into the distance in a contemplative silence.   
  
Her back was partially to him, but he needn't have been careful, as she didn't even blink when he came to stand beside her. He took in the wide green eyes, fogged over in pain as she was lost in past memories. Her bright red hair seemed to glow in the sun, glinting orange where the bright rays struck it. He followed her gaze, adopting a casual stance before speaking.  
  
"How's Ryoko?"  
  
At this she started, breaking out of her trance as her eyes flew to his face in mild surprise, a gasp stifled on her lips. She averted her gaze once more.  
  
"Happy."  
  
"I see."   
  
He replied in a voice much smoother and higher pitched than usual. She turned to look at him, blinking several times at the younger man that stood before her. He had shed the illusion of age for the second time now in centuries, his once gray hair darkening to a rich ebony, his face regaining its youthful beauty as his disguise seemed to melt away.   
  
"It was rude of me to put you at such a disadvantage," he explained, smiling, "Now, we're even."  
  
She continued to stare for a few more moments before shaking her head, a wry smile on her face.  
  
"Even indeed," she mumbled out loud. He looked down at her, amused.  
  
"Are you worried?"   
  
They both knew what he referred to.  
  
"Ignorance is bliss," she replied.   
  
Not quite sure how to respond to such an ambiguous statement, he decided to rely on the past lessons of his childhood.  
  
"True, however while ignorance breeds bliss, enlightenment leads to love."  
  
Silence followed, a brief wind sweeping by before she coughed discreetly and turned to leave. Yes, he was definitely becoming entirely too philosophical for his own good, he thought, not missing the small puff of smoke or the mad laughter that followed it.  
  
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A pair of red eyes snapped open at the sound of mad laughter, but the owner quickly dismissed the sound as non-threatening and settled back into the heated waters of the women's bath. She mentally sighed. As first princess of the Jurai royal family, she shouldn't be expected to suffer through so many indignities. Having that filthy space pirate around was bad enough in the beginning, but that hussy just couldn't resist taking a shot at her Tenchi, forcing her to protect what was hers by birthright! Over the past few months, with the way he'd been acting, she'd thought he'd finally come to see how perfect they were for each other. And it had all been coming together!   
  
She pounded the water with a pale fist, splashing herself in the process. Ayeka sighed, wiping her face off. What had happened? Tenchi had been so kind lately and then Ryoko had just up and disappeared. It had been a dream come true! From there, things should have become increasingly bright for her and Tenchi, but instead everything seemed to go downhill in a matter of days. Everyone became moody and depressed, as if that hussy actually mattered! And now, Tenchi was gone!! She just couldn't believe it. In fact, she still wouldn't if she hadn't seen it with her very own eyes! Oh, she could just kill!!!   
  
A small drop of liquid fell and made contact with the smooth surface of the water as red eyes blazed with fury.   
  
'I'll get you for this, Ryoko!'  
  
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Meanwhile Tenchi had set out on his 'quest' hours ago. The small device Washu had given him was more helpful than he had first thought, allowing access to a subspace pocket that held things like camping gear, food, and every other thing you could possible think of for survival out in the wild, if need be. He'd even found an umbrella and raincoat inside. He smiled. Well, there was Washu for you. She never forgot a thing.   
  
His thoughts returned to that afternoon and her strange behavior, prompting the same questions he'd been repeating for the past few hours. Just what was going on? And how was Ryoko involved? He knew something was wrong...no he felt something was wrong, but was it?   
  
He sighed, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He wouldn't know until he found her, and torturing himself with 'what-if's was not going to help. Pulling out Washu's device, he turned on the tracker and stared down at the flashing red spot on the screen.  
  
'Ryoko...'  
  
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So there it was! Sorry if you guys were disappointed about Ryoko not being in this part of the fic, but she'll be making an appearance in Part 4. Plus, I'm not likely to dwell much on the rest of the characters too much for the rest of the fic because this is a Ryoko-centered fic! Of course, you'll still be seeing a fair amount of Tenchi, but that can't be helped *shrug*. And another thing. I'd like to know if you guys would like Tenchi and Ryoko to get together because right now I don't really care either way and I can't decide because they both appeal to me.   
  
So anyway, please REVIEW!!!!!!!! (I'd really appreciate it, even though I know I haven't posted anything in ages! *kneels* forgive me! 


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